


Dragon Charmer

by melagan



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-04
Updated: 2017-04-04
Packaged: 2018-10-14 16:46:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10540497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melagan/pseuds/melagan
Summary: To trade for a ZPM  the team must go on a dragon hunt. Along the way Rodney discovers he has these inconvenient feelings for John Sheppard.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Untitled](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/281712) by Annieb1955. 



> Written for the SGAreversebang challenge. Beta credit to Mischief5.  
> Art by annieb1955.

Rodney could feel Sheppard's gaze on him, quietly warning him to keep his mouth shut. Since he'd ignored the negotiations up to now that was a completely unnecessary effort on the Colonel's part. Still, there must have been something said during their little pow-wow that Sheppard felt he'd find complaint worthy. 

Now he was curious. Not that he regretted spending his time being productive. In fact, he'd almost managed to pinpoint the odd energy source his scanner had picked up. Setting his work aside, he looked to his teammates for a clue. Teyla looked sincere and serious, Ronon looked stoic and bored, and Sheppard—now that was interesting. Sheppard looked intrigued. Huh.

Rodney gave a quick glance around the room. They were seated in a large hall dominated by a stone fireplace. The glow of embers from last night's fire still gave off enough heat to make him wish he'd worn a short-sleeved shirt. 

No one had offered food; supposedly, that would come after a successful negotiation. However, they'd been plied with cold drinks, and that meant refrigeration of some kind. So, not a completely barbaric planet, just mostly barbaric. 

Chieftain Tu, the leader of four villages, sat at the head of the large wooden table. Rodney wasn't interested in how many villages he headed. He was very interested however, in the embroidery decorating his robe. The design covering his left breast, in shades of red and gold, definitely depicted a ZPM. 

A couple of Tu's cronies—or possibly bodyguards—stood at his side. Between them, they had an awful lot of sharp knives and swords hanging about their persons. That no doubt explained why Ronon was standing beside Sheppard's chair with his stern face on, even though they'd all been invited to sit. 

The large room didn't quite match the dimensions of the gate room, but it was impressive for the level of culture here. Colorful tapestries rich with animals and forest scenery hung from the walls. He took notice because they reminded him of the ones in Harmony's throne room. Sadly, none of them gave him a clue to where a ZPM might be hidden. 

Oh-oh. John Sheppard was nodding, busy agreeing to something. Rodney swore under his breath, wishing he'd paid more attention to the negotiations. That particular glint in Sheppard's eye worried him. That unholy boyish glee usually meant they were about to be roped into something Sheppard considered fun. 

Dear god, Ronon was grinning now. Rodney sighed. That could only mean he was about to be subjected to the kind of amusement that meant extreme physical discomfort. Oh joy. 

"Priest Horin, if you would?" 

At Tu's command, one of his men laid his sword down on the table and motioned for them to lean closer for a better look. The sword had a map engraved on it that ran more half of its length. 

Detailed with pictures of rivers, forests, and mountains, there were two identical marks separated by depiction of a waterfall. 

"These crosses mark the best place to find dragons," Tu said. "You have one week to return with a dragon for the ceremony. Do this, and I will gift to you one of our Vessels of Light, Colonel Sheppard, as a token of my people's gratitude. It has been many years since a dragon walked this hall."

"Knowing where to look certainly makes it easier," Sheppard said. 

"We have every wish to see you succeed." Tu smiled broadly, as if that should be enough to reassure them.

"What will you do with the dragon?" Teyla asked. 

"We will release him after the blessing," Tu answered. 

Not satisfied with Tu's casual response, she raised her eyebrows. "Perhaps you could tell us what this blessing entails?" 

Rodney wanted to know too. The last thing he needed was to allow himself to become attached to some creature predestined to become a main entrée. 

"No harm will come to it, Teyla Emmagan, I promise you. These creatures are much revered by me and my people." Tu spread his arms wide, as though to include the entire village. "A dragon's blessing assures that we will be protected from the Wraith for another fifty years."

Apparently not getting the wide-eyed response of wonder he expected, Tu continued. "While you are on your quest, several deserving candidates will vie for the honor of placing the Necklace of Rule around the throat of the beast. It is a robust and joyous time for my people. If the dragon accepts the necklace, he will walk the hall of the Ancestors and all those he passes by will be blessed."

"This necklace, "John drawled softly, "is there any way we could see it ahead of time?" 

Rodney knew what he was thinking. Harmony's mini-drones. This necklace had Ancient artifact written all over it. If Atlantis had its own mini-drones, they'd never have to worry about Wraith inside the city ever again. He shook off that daydream when Horin picked the sword up from the table. 

"No," Horin said firmly. "We must have the dragon first. The necklace can only be viewed during the Ceremony of Rule." 

Rodney exchanged a knowing look with John. Resigned, he said, "Great, dragon hunting it is. Um, I don't suppose you could tell us just how big these dragons get?"

***

Tu provided them with riding beasts and enough supplies for a week in the wilderness, nodding jovially as he did so. At the same time, he urged them to make haste. Horin, the priest Rodney had mistaken for a bodyguard, gave them a map, and also encouraged them to start on their quest while they still had most of the day ahead of them.

Rodney considered the whole thing suspicious, certain that the hunt was a lot more dangerous than Horin let on. Still, Tu had agreed to give them a Vessel of Light. If he didn't miss his guess—unlikely—the vessel was a ZPM. It seemed worth the risk. Besides, he was confident his team could handle anything they came up against. Except possibly actual dragons. 

Rushed or not, they had enough time for Sheppard to get a message to Weir and bring her up to speed. Gravely, she promised to have Lorne keep a jumper on standby in case they ran into trouble and wished them luck. 

Rodney witnessed a silent conversation between Ronon and Sheppard that involved more eyebrows than words. He got the gist of it anyway. They intended to split into teams of two to cover more ground. Good. Rodney heartily approved of anything that got them back on Atlantis in under a week.

They'd worked together as a team enough by now that it almost seemed routine. Before he knew it, Sheppard commanded them to saddle up. Saddle up—and Sheppard was going to get an earful later about making him ride this ungainly beast. He planned to give the Colonel a stern reminder of his tendency to blister easily and the horrible, deadly infections that could result….

"Rodney! Sheppard called out, interrupting his revere. "Get a move on. Teyla and Ronon are already ahead of us and the day's not getting any younger. Do you need help?"

"Hrump. Not all of us can be cowboys, Colonel." Rodney juggled the reins. Nothing happened. "I think my beast is more stubborn than anyone else's."

"Just hold on. You can do that, right?"

Rodney didn't bother to dignify that with an answer, just held onto the pommel as Sheppard grabbed his reins and made a soft clicking sound. "Atta boy."

To Rodney's surprise, his beast started moving. "Sheppard!"

"Just follow me—it's easy."

Now that they were moving, his beast did seem to be well trained. As long as Rodney didn't try to steer, it seemed quite happy following in the path of Sheppard's mount.  
As they continued to follow a winding path barely suitable for goats, Rodney kept a close eye on Teyla. She noticed.

"Rodney, if I sense the Wraith, I will be certain to let everyone know. You do not need to watch for my reaction so carefully." 

He winced. "Sorry, it's just it's the only thing that makes sense. Why else would Tu invite strangers to go dragon hunting instead of using his own people? It makes sense to think the Wraith are around here somewhere."

"Tu's people are scared," Ronon offered as an explanation. "I saw their maps. None of their villages are more than a day apart so that no one has to be out past nightfall. Not sure if they're scared of dragons or the Wraith though." 

"Well," John said, tongue in cheek, "fire breathing dragons are pretty scary."

Rodney groaned. "You just had to say that, didn't you?" Still, he had to admit Ronon's theory made sense. It certainly explained why Tu was willing to trade them a ZPM for their efforts.

As expected, by the time they made camp that night, John shared every tale of fire breathing dragons he could remember with Ronon and Teyla. "Admit it, McKay, fire breathing dragons are cool." 

"I would like to see one of these fire breathers take on the Wraith," Teyla said. "They seem like formidable beasts."

"See. What did I tell you, McKay," John teased. 

Rodney wanted to put his head in his hands and weep even though a small traitorous part of himself had to admit seeing a real fire breathing dragon fight the Wraith would be more than a little cool.

The four of them traveled together for another day and a half without sighting any dragons or Wraith. When they reached the river's edge, Ronon and Teyla got ready to split off in one direction while he and John planned to cross the bridge. 

"We might be out of radio range," John cautioned. 

"If we run into any difficulty, we will head for the gate," Teyla assured him. 

Rodney watched them leave, wondering if they thought this was as much of a wild goose chase as he did. 

Misgivings aside, he had to admit this world was pretty. However, riding through the woods in search of a non-existent dragon was idiotic. "I don't know how you manage to talk me into these things, Sheppard." 

"I'm not talking you into anything; you're part of my team." 

Rodney rolled his eyes. "A week. A week in this god-forsaken wilderness enduring an utterly mind numbing excursion in the misbegotten belief we can capture some mythical dragon."

"Charm. It's charm not capture. Their priest, Horin, was very clear about that," John insisted.

"Oh for…you're just chuffed that he called you a natural born charmer."

"Well, McKay, if the shoe fits." John puffed out his chest. "We're dragon charmers. Well, me more than you." He smirked. 

"You just couldn't wait to say that, could you, Colonel?" Rodney didn't actually mind, not in the face of John's genuine enjoyment.

He had another hour of ducking branches before they came across a clearing in the forest. John brought them to a halt. He swung down out of the saddle in a move Rodney couldn't imitate on his best days. "We'll make camp here."

"Oh thank god. My ass is never going to be the same again. I don't know why we couldn't take the jumper."

"Because we're trying to fit in with the locals. We want a shot at the ZPM remember?" John teased. "Why not relax and enjoy it?"

"You really do like this kind of thing, don't you?" Rodney's gesture encompassed the wide-open space and trees beyond. "This wilderness stuff, it really is relaxing for you."

"Well, it's not the breakers at Oahu but yeah, it's cool. Now shake a leg and find us some firewood." 

"What's this?" Rodney asked, pointing to the ground.

"You tell me." John picked up a small handful of stuff the color of frost and rubbed it between his fingers. "It's soft. Like powder or ash. " 

"Ash, as in something produced by fire breathing dragons? I knew there was something Tu wasn't telling us." 

"Easy, McKay. Let's not jump to conclusions." 

"You think it's cool!" Rodney accused. He knew he was right. He could tell by the effort John put into keeping a straight face.

John brushed his hands off and stuck his thumbs in his belt loops. "Even you have to admit fire breathing dragons are pretty cool." 

"Fine, just don't come to me for extra strength sunscreen."

"Cute, McKay. Hey, shouldn't these guys show up on the life signs detector? " 

Rodney was already ahead of him and scanning the immediate area with the LSD. "Nothing yet." 

John continued working, putting up their tent and clearing space for a fire pit. He spent most of the time bent over, giving Rodney a prime view of his backside.

Rodney sighed. Really, there was absolutely no reason for John to look so good doing that. He turned away and went to find some dry wood for their fire. With the sun lower in the sky, there was a definite chill in the air that promised they were going to need it.

Neither of them felt like cooking after their long ride and John pulled out a couple of MRE's for them to eat by the fire. Night fell quickly and everything looked different in the moonlight—almost movie romantic. Despite what others thought, Rodney felt certain he had more romance in his soul than the average person.

It would have been obvious to everyone, if not for that business of being bad with people. To be fair, he didn't find most people worth the effort of getting to know, let alone date. People tended to be stupid and he had a low tolerance for stupidity. Hm. Possibly they had a small point. Minuscule really.

Granted, he did have a record of bad romantic choices, even if they'd seemed like good ideas at the time. He began counting. There was the wine and strawberry garden tour. Completely romantic except he'd forgotten April was allergic to strawberries. 

The horse and carriage ride through the zoo should have been a success but the monkey had thrown a chunk of something repellant and startled the horse into a wild, uncontrolled gallop. In retrospect, he probably should have made sure Megan was safe first before tending to his own bruises. 

As for Ashley, it was really too bad her hair caught on fire. He'd been nervous around candles for months afterwards. 

He slumped with the realization that he really did suck at romantic relationships. At least Sheppard hadn't abandoned him. His good buddy, his—dare he say—compadre?

"Whatever you're thinking, stop it," John said. "Your face looks like a constipated hug. You're going to hurt yourself."

Surprisingly, that made Rodney feel a lot better and he dug into his supper with renewed enthusiasm.

"Do we post a watch?" Rodney asked. It was chilly and he wasn't looking forward to it. The idea of sharing a tent with Sheppard seemed downright cozy compared to being out in the cold and trying to stay warm by the fire. 

"There's nothing around according to LSD so I think we're safe enough. Besides, it's too damn cold. How long are the nights on this planet anyway, McKay?"

"Larger planet, longer rotational …hm. Nine hours give or take." Rodney picked up another piece of wood and threw it on the fire. "I took that into account when I was gathering firewood. We can keep it going all night if we need to."

He had so many questions to ask—did John think there were really dragons, were they really expected to stay here a week, and how did he think Ronon and Teyla were doing? 

Rodney yawned.The day and the ride had caught up with him and his questions would have to wait. Crooking his thumb over his shoulder at the tent, he said, "I'm turning in. First one up puts the coffee on." 

He barely acknowledged John's nod, already focused on getting his boots off and crawling into his bedroll. 

He expected to fall asleep while puzzling over the cause of the odd power readings. Instead, he tossed and turned, aware something felt off but not what. 

"McKay, move over." John quietly removed his vest and boots, set his sidearm within easy reach and settled down next to him. Edging closer for warmth, he threw one arm over Rodney's chest. "Damn, you're warm." Two minutes later he was snoring. 

The tightness in Rodney's chest dissolved, and before he could say ZPM, he was matching John snore for snore.

***

Rodney cracked an eyelid open. It was still dark out but his internal clock was telling him it was time to rise. John, the lazy bastard, was still sleeping so he took it on himself to brave the frosty air. Besides, he had to piss like a racehorse. 

Personal duties out of the way, Rodney stirred the fire's embers back to life and started the coffee. The first glimmers of sunlight hit the horizon. It was—surprisingly peaceful. He might just have to concede that Sheppard had a point, although he drew the line at calling it fun. 

John picked then to poke his head out of the tent. "Do I smell coffee?"

"You do indeed." Rodney grinned into his coffee cup. He had every intention of teasing Sheppard about his rampant bed head but some things were best left until John was wide awake.

He watched as John wrapped a blanket around his shoulders and stomped off to take care of his own morning business, not before, Rodney noticed, he'd holstered his 9-mil.

He knew he'd never achieve John's level of comfort with a firearm. What would it be like to have an extension of yourself so ingrained that you felt naked without it? Rodney looked down at the laptop he had balanced on his knee. He didn't even remember… oh. 

He poured another coffee and took the time to fix John's so that it would be waiting and ready for him. John liked two sugars and real cream when they had it, the powered stuff when they didn't. This morning, he was going to surprise John with the real stuff. 

He'd gotten it from one of Tu's herdsmen while John got acquainted with their riding beasts. It tasted, at least to him, indistinguishable from Guernsey's finest. That alone was something worth trading for. 

He opened the thermos and sighed in relief. By some miracle, it hadn't turned into butter despite the rocking gait of his mount. Granted, he'd taken precautions to keep it stable but it was still a relief to know his efforts hadn't gone to waste.

Not that John would say thank you. Rodney didn't expect or need him too. But his eyes would crinkle in a smile when he held his cup out for more. 

Still wrapped in his blanket, John took his coffee and stepped as close to the fire as he could without singeing something. Rodney watched him take the first sip. Yep, his eyes did that crinkle thing. 

"It'll warm up as soon as the sun's higher," John said, sounding like he was trying to convince himself. 

Rodney took pity on him and refilled his coffee before he even asked.

"You know, McKay, if we're here anyway, we might as well hunt for dragons." 

And of course, while Sheppard had said that tongue in cheek, Rodney couldn't help noticing that some part of John really hoped they'd find a dragon and not just for the possibility of a ZPM. 

Call him pessimistic but he had his doubts about that. When had getting a ZPM from the natives ever worked out the way they promised? Never, that's how often. But John looked eager, with a happy boyishness he rarely let anyone else see, so how could he not go along with it?

Still, it wouldn't look good to seem too compliant. He had a reputation to uphold after all. "If you insist, Sheppard. It's not like there's anything else around here to do."

"That's the spirit, Rodney."

"That doesn't mean I don't think this entire endeavor isn't a complete waste of time." 

John sat down next to him and threw his arm over Rodney's shoulder. "Nah, even if we come back empty handed, we're fostering good-will. ZPM or not, I'm sure the natives will be plenty grateful." 

Rodney felt a lot less sure about that too, but he could play along. Sheppard offering him half his chocolate chip power bar helped.

John suggested they leave their tent set up and use it as their base camp. Rodney agreed and not just because it saved them the work of packing everything up. He'd slept like a baby last night and didn't want to jinx it.

The irony didn't escape him. He slept better sharing a tent off-world with John Sheppard than he did at home on his prescription mattress, and that included the one on Earth. He hadn't quite figured out why that should be. 

That wasn't always the case when they went off-world. No, it seemed he only slept well when he and John slept together. If only he could figure out why, he could replicate it on Atlantis and get a regular good night's sleep. 

It was almost as if he and John—. Heat climbed in Rodney's cheeks. Oh, no. He couldn't be falling for John Sheppard. He couldn't be. Fuck. 

He sat very sit, hoping to avoid attracting John's attention. Mind racing, recounting all the times he sought John out, it began to dawn on him that his attraction to Sheppard had been going on a long time. He had no idea exactly when it began and he wasn't sure he wanted to examine that too closely. He felt like enough of an idiot for just realizing it now. 

Sure, he'd called it different things. He called it shock and envy when John sat in the control chair for the first time. He called it professional indignation when Chaya snagged John's attention. And he called it agony, not heartache, when he thought he'd lost John's friendship after blowing up most of a solar system.

This wasn’t at all like his brief, gay experiment with Phillipe during his junior year of college. Not only was there nothing romantic between them by any stretch of the imagination. He'd been, in Rodney's opinion, excessively whiny over one completely accidental poke in the eye. 

Sure, at one time or another, Rodney had thought about having sex with each and every person on Atlantis. That didn't mean he actually wanted to. It was simply a matter of curiosity and odd dreams, thanks to the occasional bad choice of spicy food. That was the only excuse he could come up with for the nightmare scenario with Kavanagh and the black silk stockings.

But he and John were good now. What if he confessed his new-found feelings? What would John do? He weighed it over. So much to gain versus so much he could lose.

To be safe, he should keep it to himself. Not talk about it or let on he even had feelings, or watch, touch, smile, or melt into John's happy grin. 

Okay, this might be harder than he first imagined. Rodney swore that if he had one more epiphany about himself, he was going to scream. He supposed he could fire Zelenka again, for stress relief. That always made him feel better. 

Radek would roll his eyes and suggest he and Rodney get drunk. Elizabeth would remind him that he didn't have the authority to fire Zelenka without her approval. Then he and Radek would get suitably plastered and all would be forgiven.

Drunk. Possibly not the best idea. What if he blurted out his attraction to John? God damn it. He was too old for stealth feelings. 

John, looking unaccountably smug, set down his empty mug and began cleaning up the remains of breakfast. "Get a move on, McKay. Time to find us a dragon to charm."

"You're never going to get over that are you?" Rodney snapped, still feeling the heat of embarrassment. 

"Nope." He sauntered over to ready their mounts while Rodney opened his laptop. He spent a few minutes studying the area's topography in the hopes of distracting himself. Right. He found it nearly impossible not watch the lean line of John's body as he fed and watered their…he supposed calling them horses came close enough since they were clearly equines of some kind. 

He had to keep pulling his gaze away from John. He'd be damned if he'd be jealous of an alien horse just because John couldn't keep from cooing and petting the thing. Fortunately, the readings on his laptop were interesting enough to draw his attention. 

He jumped when John asked, "Find anything interesting? Some way to narrow down our search area?"

"Yes. Possibly." He looked up to see John's raised eyebrows. "A hot spring." He pointed in the direction away from the falls. "It's just a couple of kilometers that way."

"And that's good because…?" John began. 

"It's completely unnatural. Look around you. We're in the middle of a forest and the geology here is completely wrong for a hot springs."

John nodded, immediately catching on. "But it could be a perfect hangout for dragons."

"I don't know that I would have used the word hangout," Rodney sputtered. "But yes."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" 

***

Rodney knew they were onto something as they approached the springs. Not only were they nowhere near volcanic activity but the stones circling the water were laid out in a regular pattern. 

"Ancient hot tub?" John asked. He slid off his mount and walked over to the water. Bending over, his stuck his hand in. 

Rodney's mouth opened and closed. Somewhere in there was a severe warning that John shouldn't touch the water until he'd tested the mineral content. What if it were acid? Or too hot and steamed his skin off or—or damn. John was bent over. Now he was taking of his boots. Shit. He was taking off his shirt and pants.

"What are you doing!" Rodney yelled.

"Ancient hot tub, Rodney. C'mon, get in. This will take care of that cramp in your ass you've been complaining about." 

"Very funny. Oh. You're serious." Rodney watched John lower himself into the spring—naked as the day he was born—and how was he not supposed to look? 

John wasn't getting out. He clearly expected Rodney to join him. Actually, it did look safe. After a brief wrestle with propriety, he decided John was right and starting taking off his clothes. It would feel good on his abused muscles. "It's not too hot?"

"It's perfect." John's gaze slowly traveled up over the length of his body, but since he didn't tease him about leaving his boxers on, Rodney shrugged it off.

He had to admit, the hot water felt wonderful. "We definitely need one of these on Atlantis."

"Yeah," John agreed, his lazy voice adding to Rodney's ease. "I'll even help you talk Elizabeth into agreeing to it."

Rodney leaned back and closed his eyes, quietly humming with pleasure. Muscles he hadn't realized were tense unknotted. 

"What did you say?" John asked.

"I called you a genius. Don't make me regret it." He cracked open his eyes just to see the dopy grin on John's face. "How did you know it was safe?"

"It's Ancient and it…I just knew, okay."

"It told you?" 

John shrugged. Neatly evading the question, he pointed to the upper edge of the spring. "Do some of those rocks look …oh, I don't know…egg-shaped to you?" He climbed out of the pool and bent over a pile of rocks for a closer look.

Rodney groaned.

"I think they do." John straightened and gave Rodney a perfect front view. "And if these are eggs, then momma must be around somewhere."

"Pants!" Rodney flailed and exited the water as soon as he could get his feet under him. "And let me remind you, we still don't know how big one of these things can get." 

"Decided to believe in dragons after all, McKay?"

"I've decided to be prudent. We are live in a galaxy with life-sucking aliens. Who knows what else is out here." He tossed John his pants. While John finished getting dressed, he removed his wet shorts and then tugged his own clothes on in record speed. 

"Maybe we should come back later?" Rodney suggested. 

"Or maybe we should go over there." John pointed to a rock outcropping. "Stay out of sight and see if momma turns up."

Rodney sighed. Of course, John wanted to do that. "Even if momma shows, we can't take her away from her eggs."

"I don’t intend to. But, if we're lucky, there's a daddy around here too. Besides, we only need him long enough for the ceremony and then we'll bring him right back."

"Bad idea, bad idea, bad idea," Rodney muttered under his breath. 

As a precaution, John took their mounts downwind to secure them in relative safety. Meanwhile, Rodney found a large patch of smooth ground in the center of the outcropping. Although woefully inadequate for protection, it didn't stop him from setting up an impromptu picnic. They might be setting themselves up to be rent into pieces but they didn't have to do it on an empty stomach. 

"Something smells good."

"John! Um, I just thought…" Rodney floundered. John had snuck up on him just as he put the finishing touches on their lunch.

"No, food's a good idea. I'm starving." 

Oh god, that one tiny bit of approval shouldn't make him feel so damn pleased. Rodney was quickly coming to the realization that he'd pretty much bend over for John Sheppard if he asked. 

"What's that? You say something?" John made himself comfortable sitting closer than Rodney felt was absolutely warranted.

"No." This was torture. He was just beginning to get a handle on his feelings while John sat there, completely unaffected. Colonel cool and capable. Rodney bit into his sandwich and chewed as if his life depended on it to keep from blurting out painfully awkward things—feeling type things—things that could only hurt their friendship. 

His resolve crumbled when John reached out and grabbed the other half of his sandwich. Rodney's eyes followed the motion of John's strong, agile hands. Suddenly short of breath, he was on the verge of blurting out something stupid like—since when have your fingers been so long—and can I suck them? 

"Don't move. We have company," John cautioned.

Rodney froze. "Seriously? Already?"

"Oh, yeah." John broke off a piece of his sandwich and held it out as an enticement. "Somehow, I'd pictured it being bigger."

In size and shape their dragon looked remarkably like a Canadian Lynx though its body was slightly more slender, not to mention that it had scales instead of the fur. 

"Are those…" John pointed to the dragon's tufted ears."…feathers?" 

"There's more feathers on its eye ridges," Rodney pointed out. "And between the toes on his paws." 

They watched it chew on the piece of sandwich until it finished and then it turned its big, soulful eyes on John, begging for more. 

"Sure, little guy. You can have all you want. Fork it over, McKay."

"Right, because you intend to charm it by stuffing its face." He handed over the rest of his sandwich.

"It works with you, doesn't it?"

Remembering this morning's power bar, he conceded that maybe John had a point. 

"How are we going to get him back?" Rodney asked.

"A harness? I can rig one for Harvey if we need to. But I want to try something else first." 

"Seriously, Sheppard. Harvey?"

"Him. In case you missed the fact he's clearly a male. Actually, he kind of reminds me of my third-grade English teacher. I think it's something in the eyes." 

"English teacher. I think I hate you."

John softly snorted. "I can tell he's smart—German Sheppard level smart, maybe smarter. Just look at how he's watching us. 

Rodney had to agree. There was a definite spark of intelligence about the creature. It had certainly learned quickly enough which of them to beg food from. 

"It's a long trek to the village. If we can train Harvey to come when called and get him to follow us, the trip back is going to be a lot easier." 

Personally, he suspected John just wanted to spend another few days in the great outdoors. He did seem a lot more relaxed. Considering the stress level on an average day in Atlantis, he could concede John had a point. Besides, while he might not admit it, it was good to see the lines of tension John always carried these days finally ease. 

If nothing else, he'd get another good night's sleep out of it. So, without further argument, Rodney found himself handing over his hoarded snacks for John to train Harvey with. It had absolutely nothing to do with the likelihood of seeing John naked in the hot springs again. Maybe. 

A couple of unexpectedly peaceful days went by as John focused on training Harvey. John, however, seemed to have a thing these days about sitting too close and it was getting on Rodney's nerves. 

Every time they sat by the fire or rested for a meal or went for a swim, John was right there with one shoulder pressing against his or reaching across and brushing against his arm across Rodney's chest. Sometimes his thigh would rub against his for no reason at all. 

It frustrated him, not because he minded, but because he really, really didn't. Rodney found it difficult to keep from leaning into John in turn. If nothing else, no one should smell so good after being in the wilderness for three days. 

Maybe it was effect of bathing in the hot springs? Rodney surreptitiously sniffed under his arm. Inconclusive. He looked up to see John watching him. He bit back a groan. It was going to be a long week.

*** 

"How do you think Ronon and Teyla are doing?" Rodney sat on a convenient rock watching John toss a handmade Frisbee to Harvey. 

Harvey made a wild, sinuous leap into the air, catching the Frisbee between his teeth. After making sure he'd chewed it into submission, he brought over to John, clearly expecting payment.

John patted Harvey on the head and gave him piece of a power bar in exchange for the battered Frisbee. He stared at it for a long minute before distractedly answering, "I'll try the radio again when we get back to the bridge, but since Lorne hasn't shown up to try to rescue us, I suspect they're doing fine."

"What is it? Rodney asked.

"Here, take a look at this." John passed him the Frisbee. "Do those look like scorch marks to you?" 

They exchanged a look. Neither of them had actually seen Harvey breath fire but that didn't erase the possibility. 

Harvey jumped playfully at their feet, mock growling and trying to get John to toss the Frisbee again. Shaking his head, John threw it and stood with his hands on his hips while Harvey made a leaping dash for it. 

As John stood in the afternoon light, Rodney studied the long, lean line of his body and his mouth went dry. He knew he was staring and forced his gaze away before John noticed. He rubbed at his chest trying to chase away its odd ache.

Harvey learned fast. Rodney preferred to think he was cat-like in his intelligence. Except, well, he'd never gotten a cat to come at the sound of their name unless it sounded like a can opener. 

After another day had passed, John decided Harvey had learned enough to follow them back. Maybe some of it was due to _Dragon Charmer John Sheppard_ but Rodney would put his money on Harvey knowing exactly where the easy food came from. The bonus ear scratches probably didn't hurt either.

They were leaving in the morning. This was the last night he'd share a tent with Sheppard. It should be awkward with this new-found attraction. Only it wasn’t new—just recently discovered. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to let John know how much he valued his friendship. That should be safe enough, shouldn't it? 

He lay in his usual sleep position with John's arm over him. "I …uh…you…"

"Rodney, what is it?"

"I don't know that I ever told you, but I value your friendship." Whew, he said it. 

"You covered that already, McKay. Remember when you apologized after blowing up three quarters of a solar system.

"Five sixths."

John softly snorted. "I stand corrected." He settled in even closer, his warm breath tickling Rodney's neck. "Relax and go to sleep."

As he drifted off, Rodney thought he heard the words, "I've got you."

*** 

Getting back to the village was both easier and more difficult than Rodney expected. The little dragon followed John's mount, loping along like a friendly dog. On the other hand, he knew that when this trip was over, they'd be back to their regular routine. No more nights in the tent with John. No more naked bathing in hot springs, and before long, they'd be back to concentrating on staying alive. 

They stopped at the bridge to rest and John made radio contact with Teyla. "Teyla says they were successful in finding a dragon too, and they're about an hour away from the village."

Rodney stopped rubbing Harvey's belly long enough to look up at John. "Two for Tu?" He winced. "Can we pretend I didn't say that?"

"Not a chance." John's hand landed easily on his shoulder and squeezed. Rodney had to duck his head and smile, but god, he was going to miss this. 

*** 

He watched as John handed Harvey off to Horin. Despite his best efforts, he'd grown fond of the creature, much to his dismay. He reminded Rodney of his cat. If his cat had scales and feathers. 

Ronon came up and stood next to him. "Mine's bigger."

"Yours doesn't look anything like a dragon. It looks like a fuzzy warthog."

"I don't know what that is," Ronon said. "But it breathes fire and it's still bigger than yours."

Rodney sighed. 

"Two very fine dragons," Horin said, looking bemused. "Our ceremony is truly blessed."

Clapping his hands, he called his attendants forward to help take the beasts away. "While they are being prepared for the ceremony, Tu has provided food and drink for the four of you. He is especially interested in your account of the hunt, Colonel Sheppard, and yours as well, Ronon Dex. Please, this way."

"Yeah," John drawled. "I've got a few questions for him too."

As they walked down the hall, John elbowed Rodney. "Want to explain why they think a dragon can turn on the Ancient device? There's no way it could have the ATA gene, right?"

"I doubt it's the animal. Remember what Horin said earlier? They only bring out the necklace when there's a dragon to put it on and everyone from the village comes to the blessing ceremony."

He knew the moment John caught on.

"So, maybe they don't know," John said. "But the odds are good someone in the crowd has the ancient gene and unknowingly activates it."

Rodney snapped his fingers. "Exactly. I need to get a look at their weapons systems and see if we're right about the mini-drones." 

"But would they be here?" Teyla asked. "This place hardly seems…."

"She's right," Ronon said. "If it's a weapon, it's not here."

"Perhaps it activates a shield instead?" Teyla suggested.

The moment she said it, Rodney knew she was right. For one thing, this place simply didn't have the kind of architecture necessary for an Ancient weapon's cache. "But we can still get a ZPM out this, right?" 

John nodded. "A ZPM would be damn good." He held up a cautioning hand. "As long as it doesn't take power away from their shield."

Rodney knew better than to argue. Besides, he could smell the food and something smelled like barbeque. 

Tu welcomed them in person when they entered the banquet room. He waved them toward a large table spread with food prepared for the ceremony. "Welcome! We will eat now, as there will be little time to talk after the ceremony. Sit with me. Eat. Tell me of your adventures. Never before in our history have we been blessed with two fine beasts to vie for the honor of wearing the Necklace of Rule."

"Well, it might have helped if we'd had a picture to go by," John said.

"But that is part of the challenge! To see what sort of beast the dragon charmer may return with." Tu grinned at Ronon. "You hid your talent to charm well, Ronon Dex, and surprised us all." 

Rodney could have told him Ronon's success had more to do with putting his blaster on stun than any kind of ability to charm, but Teyla's elbow was surprisingly sharp. Ow.

Ignoring Teyla, he waved his hand for Tu's attention. "I don't suppose we can get that Vessel of Light, now?"

"Not until after the ceremony. But since you have brought us two fine dragons, you shall have two!" He stopped just short of slapping his knee in amusement. "It is well worth it to see Priest Horin dance between the two animals, trying to decide which shall have the honor of wearing the necklace."

Rodney couldn't persuade Tu to change his mind. Not that he tried as hard as he'd like with Sheppard communicating by evil eyebrow to shut up and go along with it. At least the food was good. 

One of Tu's men beckoned to him and the chieftain stood. "Sit. Enjoy. I must get ready for the ceremony and," he continued in conspiratorial whisper, "see if my priest has turned his head around backwards trying to choose between the beasts."

Morosely, Rodney spent the time looking at his watch while Ronon and Teyla caught them up on their adventures with catching their fuzzy warthog beast. He did listen closely enough to know they hadn't found a hot springs or any resulting nakedness. 

He froze when Teyla asked John to tell her about their time catching Harvey. He started breathing again when John said, "It was easy." And then, because the bastard no doubt knew it would irritate him, John air-buffed his nails and added, "Dragon charming just comes naturally to some of us."

Finally, they were called to witness the ceremony. "Sheppard, be careful," Rodney reminded him, as they walked to the great hall. "'Don't think about turning the Ancient necklace on. Or off for that matter. We don't want to stop it from activating at the right time for the right person."

"Don't think on—or off. Right."

As ceremonies go, this one went much as expected. He couldn't help feeling a touch of pride to see Horin had picked Harvey to wear the Necklace of Rule. Speaking of the necklace…"Sheppard, does that look familiar to you?"

"Yeah." John leaned close, his warm breath tickling Rodney's ear. "It looks like an elaborate version of Harmony's pendant. It's Ancient, no doubt about it." 

The hall was full. People of all ages lined the walls, dressed in their best finery. The crowd didn't seem to bother Harvey other than he seemed disappointed when no one offered him food. In fact, the entire hall held an atmosphere not unlike a New Year's Eve party with everyone waiting for the ball to drop.

Harvey walked the hall like a trooper. The necklace that hung from his neck sported a row of flat, pale crystals of irregular shape and size. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath waiting.

Rodney expected Harvey to stop in front of someone. He didn't. "Shouldn't he have picked someone by now?"

"I don't think that's the point," John said. "They're not looking for someone specific. The necklace just has to be activated. Come on, Harvey boy. You can do it." 

Harvey had walked almost to the end of the hall, turned, and started back when the necklace began to glow. The entire crowd broke into a rousing cheer. For a moment, Rodney thought John was going to fist bump the air but he seemed to think better of it and settled for rocking back on his heels. "That's my boy."

"Honestly, Sheppard, Harvey had nothing to do with it," Rodney sputtered. "Obviously someone here has the ATA gene. Of course, they thought about making the necklace glow. It's what they're here for. They've no doubt long forgotten the original purpose and made an entire unnecessary show of…."

John silenced him by pressing two fingers over his mouth. "Ceremony's over, McKay. Let's go collect us a couple of ZPMs." 

John's fingers lingered, pressed against his mouth, making it impossible to speak. Somehow, he managed to nod without dislodging John's fingers and got a warm smile in return. "You and I are having a little talk later."

"There you are." Tu looked every inch the royal chieftain in his purple robes. "Horin is seeing to the return of the dragons but I wanted to take you to see Vessels of Light myself. This way."

Ronon and Teyla were mingling with the guests. Well, Teyla was. No doubt she was gathering a list of trade items. Ronon had Horin cornered. Rodney had overheard enough to know that he intended to return the dragons back to where they'd found them himself, with or without help. Good. It made Rodney feel better knowing that Harvey would get home safely. He might even ask to be included. Well, no, but it was the thought that counted, right?

He realized he'd missed some of the conversation between Sheppard and Tu while observing his teammates. He refocused his attention just in time to see Tu push a decorative curtain aside and reveal an oversized, wooden door.

"This leads to a lower level that is rarely used except to store root vegetables," Tu said. "Follow me." 

Lanterns lined the walls illuminating their steps as Tu guided them down a long flight of stairs. Once there they entered a large, smooth-walled cellar. The room looked out of place with the rest of the architecture. 

"Just a thought, but by any chance was this room already here and your people built over it?" John asked. 

Tu looked surprised. "According to our history, that is indeed what happened. As far back as anyone remembers, it has always been the repository for the Vessels of Light."

"And no doubt where the shield generator is," Rodney muttered under his breath. "I really need to get a look at that."

"Allow me." Tu pulled on a lever obviously designed to blend into the carved panel. The wall rolled away revealing dozens of ZPMs neatly stacked in rows, each in its own cradle. "It is a marvel, is it not?" Tu said with obvious pride. "Choose."

"Can we have a minute?" John asked. 

"I must return to the festivities. But I will send Horin down to assist you."

"I don't suppose there are any more secret, hidden walls?" Rodney asked. 

"McKay! Tu has been more than gracious. And generous. Say thank you."

"Right. Um, Thank you." 

"I begin to see how you learned to charm dragons, Colonel Sheppard." Tu didn't quite shake his head but look passed between him and John that Rodney couldn't decipher. 

"I will advise Horin not to hurry too much."

Left alone with the wall of ZPMs, Rodney couldn't wait to get his hands on them. "Damn, I wish we had some way of knowing if any were fully charged."

"Hey, I think I found the shield generator."

While he'd been busy ogling ZPMs, John had found another room. Not much bigger than an alcove, it held a shield device almost identical to the one on the kid planet. The ZPM wasn't glowing but Rodney could tell by the control panel that it still had power left. "There has to be another control somewhere."

"Why?" John asked. 

"Since it's not on all the time, it must have sensors that pick up Wraith tech. That could come in very handy." Bent over to examine it more closely, he was surprised to bump into John when he stood. "Sheppard?"

"What?"

"Um, you're standing awfully close."

Sighing, John took a step back. "C'mon, genius. Pick us out a couple of Vessels of Light."

"You realize they probably won't do us any good. I think this is where the Ancients stored their empties until they got around to recharging them." 

"Just pick two, and not the one powering the shield. Just pick whichever ones you think might have some charge left." 

Knowing John was right, he picked two at random and hoped for the best. 

He watched John lift the first out of its cradle. He handled it carefully and Rodney found his eyes drawn to the way his strong, capable hands almost caressed the device. He knew it was ridiculous to feel jealous of an energy storage device so he dragged his gaze away and turned to lift out the second ZPM. 

"What did you say?" John asked. 

Rodney panicked. Had he said something? Probably. Fuck. He really had to work on quitting his habit of talking to himself out loud. He'd only fallen into it since coming to Atlantis because he liked talking to the city as he worked.

Before he could answer, they heard footsteps. Horin. 

"I see you have chosen. If you will follow me, I'll take to you join the others." Without saying another word, Horin managed to make it clear that their time in the repository was over. 

Rodney didn't bother to try to wheedle more time. Neither did John. Because there was the faintest possibility Horin was holding a small grudge for having two dragons to contend with. 

*** 

He was running the ZPM sequencer when Sheppard walked in. 

"How's it look?" John leaned on the console. "Haven't seen you much since we got back to Atlantis."

"Busy man here."

"I know," John said, sounding disappointed. 

"I do have good news." Rodney cursed his unbidden desire to see Sheppard happy no matter what. He should be shooing him out of the ZPM lab not encouraging him to stay. "One of the ZPMs is a quarter full and the other is almost a third full."

"Is that why you picked the older ones?"

"I did?"

"You did." John leaned back further if possible, making himself even more at home.

"Huh. I must have subconsciously reasoned that the older ones would be stored for recharging before they were completely drained. No doubt because they still had plenty of resources before fighting the Wraith for years."

John raised an eyebrow.

"It's just a theory," Rodney protested. But a smile sneaked out anyway.

"You said something to me, back in the Vessel of Light repository." John had moved from leaning against the console to leaning into Rodney's personal space. "I want you to say it again." He brought his hand up to rest against the back of Rodney's neck. 

The warmth from John's hand turned Rodney's bones to mush and he found the words spilling out of his mouth despite every intention to do nothing of the sort. "You didn't just charm…not just Harvey, okay. Me. You charmed me. Have been for a while."

He squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the hammer to fall. Instead, John cupped his face and slowly, gently kissed him on the mouth. A long, lingering kiss that baffled him, turned his melted bones electric, and turned him on like crazy. He had questions, so many questions, and at the moment, lost in John's kiss, he didn't give a rat's ass about answers.

When John lifted his head, Rodney tried to follow him with his mouth, giving up only when he realized John wasn't going to move away.

"You're a difficult man to charm. Anybody ever tell you that?" John's mouth was red, his lips swollen from their kiss—but his eyes sparkled in delight.

"But completely worth it, right?" 

"Oh, yeah.." John moved in for another kiss. 

Rodney lifted his mouth, meeting John halfway. Someday, maybe, he'd tell John he'd never been difficult to charm at all.

~*~


End file.
